Disrupting traffic has long been a way for protesters to call attention to a cause. But when the cause itself is speed—in this case, Internet speed—the move takes on an extra level of defiance.

That’s what one cyclist made clear when he used his bike to protest the Federal Communications Commission this week.

The FCC voted in December to end Obama-era rules for Internet service providers. By doing away with so-called net neutrality, critics say, the agency opened the door to broadband companies blocking access to certain websites or slowing down Internet speeds unless users pay a fee—a process known as “throttling.”

Rob Bliss, a video director for the website Seriously.TV, was upset with the FCC’s decision. So he grabbed a bike and headed to Washington, D.C., to do some throttling of his own:

Over the course of three days, Bliss set up cones in the street outside the FCC headquarters, blocking two travel lanes. He then mounted a GoPro to his helmet and proceeded to ride his bike—slowly—in the one remaining lane. Cars got backed up waiting for an opportunity to pass. But if they paid Bliss a $5 fee, they could pass right away.

Drivers quickly got impatient, as did police. But that was the point: The demonstration mocked what might happen if companies like Comcast and Verizon are allowed to charge for faster Internet access. Users who can afford it will be able to bypass snail-like speeds. Everyone else will have to wait.

Bliss called his protest “restoring automotive freedom,” a dig at FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s claim that repealing net neutrality will “restore Internet freedom.” On his back, Bliss wore a cheeky sign reading, “Ask me about our 12th Street $5 a Month Priority Access Plan!” He tells Bicycling that no drivers took him up on the deal, though some passersby did offer words of support once they realized what he was doing.

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Matt BevilacquaNews Editor, BicyclingMatt is a reporter, writer, and editor who has covered bicycling since 2014, when he cofounded a small bike magazine called SPOKE in Philadelphia.

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